Spin Standard

Welcome to LA's newest playground—André Balazs and Susan Sarandon's ping pong club ball at Downtown's Standard hotel. Pros and amateurs to after-work crowd and date night couples spread out across the two-roomed space complete with 11 ping pong tables and ball girls (and boys) outfitted in pleated tennis skirts and polos. If you'd rather watch from the side lines, saddle up to one of the three bars for signature cocktails like the Drop Shot ($8) with vodka, ginger syrup, lychee puree and lime juice and the Peppery Paddle Whacker ($12)—a mix of vodka, lemon bitters, black pepper simple syrup, lemon and cucumber. There are also several craft brews on tap ($6), a wine list of reds, whites and bubbly and finger foods like warm candied bacon skewers ($8), mini chicken banh mi ($14) and Angus beef sliders ($12) with spicy wasabi cheddar and Sriracha aioli. $20 gets you an hour before 5pm—$30 after 5pm—while $500 buys you a year membership with half-off court fees, priority reservations, discounts at the Standard rooms, shop and restaurant and Spin gear. Step up your game with a private lesson with a pro.